Tuesday, 12 November 2024

 Bridget VALLENCE (Evelyn) (13:32): An attack on any war memorial or cenotaph is an attack on Australian values and the heroic legacy of our veterans. Sadly, there has been an increase in the desecration and vandalism of war memorials recently, including Yarra Ranges memorials in Montrose, Lilydale, Seville, Mount Evelyn and at the Coldstream and Yering War Memorial just last week. This proves the existing penalty does not adequately deter vandalism of our sacred memorials that commemorate service men and women who have paid the ultimate sacrifice. This vandalism, especially before Remembrance Day, causes considerable hurt and pain to war veterans and their families. I have been campaigning for and calling on the government to introduce a specific offence in relation to the desecration of war memorials, carrying a 15-year jail term. New South Wales, Tasmania and the United Kingdom parliaments have all introduced this offence in recent years to protect these sacred sites, and there is no reason why we should not do that here in Victoria. Regrettably, the Labor government has shown no regard for this important issue. When I last raised this in Parliament, the Attorney-General stated that someone could be imprisoned for a mere three months for such appalling conduct, an insult really to returned service men and women and our community. This should be above politics, and the government should legislate tougher penalties as a matter of urgency to send a clear message to those who seek to dishonour the tremendous sacrifice of brave service men and women who defended our country and fought for our freedoms. I will keep the fight up together with Lilydale and Mount Evelyn RSLs.